The Easter season is upon us and has been since February 15th- , if the holiday aisle of our local chain pharmacy is to be used as a trusted marker of the passage of time. Just as Halloween’s orange and black are replaced by Christmas’ green and red on November 1st, the day after Valentine’s day sees romantic reds and pinks unceremoniously replaced by Easter’s sickeningly sweet pastel palette. It is as though these stores are giving us a visual aid to reveal just how disposable our consumerist driven society really can be- it would be more shocking if there were not so many cute fuzzy stuffed animal bunnies lining these aisle, distracting us from these harsher realities…aww this one sings “Here Comes Peter Cottontail“!

Luckily, once we leave these bear trap like displays-with their hypnotizing Spring inspired hues and themes- we can come back to our senses and plot how to make this Easter the one wherein we refuse to listen to the seductive siren song of these disposable holiday items once and for all. This will be the Easter that you, yes you- with your ravishing eyes and daredevil attitude- make conscientious decisions on how you choose to celebrate your holiday. Free yourself from the shackles of your Easter Bunny overlord and take heed to these easy to follow steps that will make you wonder why the heck you ever paid your hard earned cash on a gob of colored plastic grass ever before!
Easter Baskets:

I generally think back fondly on the Easter’s of my youth, but my memories take on a cringe worthy feel when I recall that part of my family’s Easter Sunday ritual involved my siblings and myself placing our Easter baskets from the previous year at the foot of our bed, only to awake and discover that the Easter Bunny had crept into our room while we slept overnight to replace these baskets with new ones! Not only new baskets, but baskets wrapped in colorful cellophane and filled to the brim with candies and other treats! No, I am not cringing at the idea of a bunny rabbit the size of an adult male, who often sports an unfashionable vest coupled with an even more unfashionable bowtie, creeping in my bedroom at night- I am cringing at the wastefulness of brand new baskets wrapped in plastic (What up, Twin Peaks fans!?).

In my parent’s defense, it was the 80’s. People thought cigarettes were a healthy alternative to breast milk for babies in those days. Oh, they didn’t? Well, either way, we now know better. You should learn from history, or you will be doomed to repeat it- so, step one: reuse your Easter Baskets!!!

If you are in need of a new basket for some reason, seek out baskets made from sustainable items, such as these handsome Fair Trade bamboo baskets.

Better yet, make a project out if it for you an your youngin’s and make your own baskets with recyclable goods. Search online for a plethora of handy how-to guides, such as this one from funroom.com.

Other lessons you can learn from my parent’s mistakes (which crazily enough is the title of my upcoming self-help book) include: skipping the cellophane altogether and either forgoing the fake grass at the bottom of the basket or opting for shredded, recyclable papers or natural items; such as hay.

Easter Eggs:

A classic Easter activity for children is the dying of hard boiled eggs and distributing them to your disappointed family members. A hard boiled egg, no matter what color it may be, is not the most awesome gift on the planet, but as with many things in the world, it is really the journey that counts…in this case the act of egg dying, that makes it an American favorite.

First up on your Easter activity Eco makeover is the eggs themselves. If buying eggs, try to make your purchase from a local organic farm.

Now that you’ve decided on more ethical and eco-friendly eggs it is time to choose your palette. If you have decided to go the traditional egg dying route, check out this handy guide on crunchydomesticgodess.com that informs you how to dye your eggs using simply vinegar, fruits and vegetables. For wooden eggs, use non-toxic paints and recycled supplies found around your home.

Candy:

Let’s face it, this is what the holiday basically boils down to for children and the young at heart alike: an excuse to receive and eat a basket of candy. Similarly, Halloween is an excuse to beg for candy and Valentine’s day is a time to enjoy assorted chocolates out of a heart shaped container. I am not here to judge or to tell you to enjoy your candy in moderation, I am here however to remind you to make ethical choices when choosing which sweet concoctions to gorge yourself on.

Fulfill your need to be on theme this holiday season without abandoning your ethics; Chocolates at Sjaacks.com and divinechocolateusa.com are available in Easter style shapes and packaging and are also 100 percent Fair Trade and organic!!!

You could also consider filling your loved ones Easter Baskets with homemade candies and treats. Check out this delicious vegan fudge recipe Autonomie Project posted for another holiday- that shall remained unnamed, as not to make Easter jealous.

When it is all said and done, the sap in me wants to say that holidays are about spending quality time with the ones you hold nearest and dearest to your heart. The chocolate lover in me, however, thinks it is all about the yummy treats. We’ll let those two sides of myself figure it out like any mature personality would: cage match style.

Until the results are available, remember to enjoy your holiday in the most ethical and environmentally friendly way you possibly can. Come April 5th, regardless of whether or not you buy every plastic egg or rapping Easter bunny available, your local chain store’s holiday aisle will be already sporting July 4th’s patriotic red, white and blue. This time you can smugly walk by, knowing that you have the ability to celebrate any holiday without pledging allegiance to the disposable trinkets they want you to believe make or break its success. You can still feel free to set off all the dancing, animatronic doo dads on the shelf as you pass by- you know that you have a soft spot in your heart for that Santa that wears sunglasses and tears it up on the saxophone and all his robotic pals.